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eLearning Series:
I'm an Active Senior
Who Wants To Stay Healthy
( 50 aticles in this series )
Physical
Activities As We Get Older
The
older we get, the more ways the body will find to surprise
us with its newly found inabilities. It seems
like one break down of the body keeps us filled up with excuses
for longer and longer periods of time for why we are unable
to do one thing or another. There are some limitations set
due to these drawbacks that have to be configured into staying
physically active. The key is to keep the body active in as
many ways as possible, working around any limitations that
emerge. We also should be aware that there are many who overcome
their conditions, not always by eliminating the condition,
but by working the body much as you can. There are many survivors
of cancer, for example, who motivate themselves past significant
degrees of fatigue, nausea and depression by working back toward
wellness in anyway they can. Getting older or dealing with
disease or illness is a setback meant to be overcome as much
as possible, rather than being a pass to not stay active. Expectations
have to be put in the parameters that your body is willing
to manage at the time. Accepting what you have and moving on
with those particular limitations will improve the way you
age.
One
of the biggest hurdles of growing older is the increased
feelings of fatigue. The good news about that is that almost
any physical activity will actually help to counteract feelings
of being tired, because the activity increases blood flow and
the strength of the heart to supply the exerting body with
extra oxygen. Yoga and walking are great activities to help
increase energy. They both focus on breathing and the yoga
gets circulation to all parts of the body through its many
postures and stretches. The improved breathing and circulation
in turn, gives us a feeling of more energy, alertness and less
tension. Yoga can be modified for any condition or degree of
disability and keeps seniors able to reach higher and lower
than they may have been before. Walking is one of the most
beloved forms of fitness around the world and is gentle on
the joints with the right shoes.
Arthritis
and other chronic pain are also aspects of growing
older which can try to take away all of your favorite activities,
thereby taking away your health. Seniors across the country
are raving about the effects of swimming on their joint pain.
Some say that their symptoms are eliminated while in the water
and subdued for quite a while afterwards. The warm water and
joy of being able to jog or do weight bearing exercises without
pain are uplifting and rejuvenating. A few hours in the water
each week will keep you feeling young and keep you limbered
up to do other day to day activities which you need to perform?
Perhaps neck to neck with elements of a healthy lifestyle
is the need for socialization. As seniors, an active lifestyle
is best accentuated with active socializing. A blending of
the two is a perfect match. Finding neighbors and friends who
want to take exercise classes with you or become a partner
for walking is one of the best ways to make staying fit fun.
Joining a square dancing or ballroom dancing club will provide
you with an environment of others who are motivated to stay
fit and active. Surrounding yourself with inspired, motivated
individuals makes it much easier to stay motivated yourself.
Dancing is extremely popular among seniors for providing this
environment. It is also wonderful for keeping the heart light
because dancing is full of whimsy and fun. If you like tennis,
golf, basketball or other sports which take more than one,
you will be giving yourself the tools to make aging a graceful
process along with the opportunity to make lasting friendships.
Exercise is not meant to be a painful or lonely process, it
is meant to eliminate those feelings as much as possible. By
participating in activities which reduce elements of pain from
chronic conditions, by increasing blood flow and oxygen intake,
and by involving some social time in the mix, you can stay
in the game for much longer. Remember that physical activity
now makes future activity more accessible. # # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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